Prof. Judea Pearl’s article on the future of machine learning featured on cover of CACM

Mar 6, 2019

Judea Pearl, UCLA Chancellor’s Professor of Computer Science, has authored a think piece on the future of machine learning in Communications of the ACM.

In the article, titled, “The Seven Tools of Causal Inference, with Reflections on Machine Learning,” Pearl argued that causal reasoning should be incorporated into artificial intelligence algorithms. He explained the theoretical obstacles in achieving that goal, and then described advanced modeling tools, currently used in the social sciences and public health, that can help move AI into new heights.

The article was the cover feature in the March 2019 issue of the monthly magazine. It is published by the Association for Computing Machinery, the world’s largest educational and scientific computing society. The article also included an accompanying video(available for view below), featuring Pearl explaining the ideas behind it in more detail.

Judea Pearl has been a member of the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering since 1969. His numerous international honors include the Alan M. Turing Award, the highest honor in computing, which recognized his work in processing information under uncertainty and developing a calculus for causal reasoning.